The Scottish Government has appointed AECOM to design a framework that will give people tailored, building-specific advice on what improvements could suitably and safely meet future energy standards, with the design of the project due to be completed in spring 2026.

The new approach, known as the Heat & Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA), is intended to go much further than what is required for traditional Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). While EPCs are widely used, they often provide standardised recommendations that don’t fully reflect the technical realities of Scotland’s diverse buildings. HEETSA will bridge that gap, offering improvement measures that are more suitable, more practical and genuinely tailored to individual buildings.

AECOM will work until spring 2026 reviewing how retrofit assessments currently operate across Scotland for both homes and communal buildings, using the findings to shape HEETSA. This will identify what works, where advice is patchy, and what needs improving so future recommendations are consistent and reliable, ultimately building much needed consumer confidence in the retrofit market.

The review will also set out who can carry out HEETSA assessments - including the qualifications, training, experience and standards assessors must meet to ensure advice is trusted. Finally, AECOM will look at clearer ways to present the findings so policymakers can turn HEETSA into a straightforward national assessment that home and building owners can use.

This forms a key part of the Scottish Government’s wider Heat in Buildings Programme, which is supporting households and commercial properties with retrofit advice, funding opportunities and, in time, future regulations. With buildings currently accounting for around a fifth of Scotland’s emissions, clearer guidance will help people understand the most suitable steps they can take as the country moves towards its legally binding 2045 net-zero target.

David Ross, regional director at AECOM, said: “HEETSA has the potential to be a significant step in how Scotland supports people to make their homes and shared spaces more energy efficient. It’s an opportunity to give property owners advice they can genuinely trust, tailored to their building, clear in its recommendations and grounded in the realities of Scotland’s diverse housing stock.

“Our team is bringing its full range of expertise to help shape a framework that is practical and future-ready. Working closely with the Scottish Government and through sharing our suggestions for the design of the project next year, we’ll create an approach that strengthens confidence in retrofit.”

AECOM already has experience supporting Scotland’s shift to low-carbon heat. It previously helped the Scottish Government create the country’s first national “heat map”, showing where heat demand is highest and where renewable heat could be developed. First piloted in three councils before being used to create the national map, it has helped local authorities plan more effectively for cleaner heating.

AECOM is currently leading a team of industry experts at the forefront of building retrofit, including architecture and consultancy partners including Four Walls Consultants, Spruce Retrofit Consulting, Carbon Futures and Energy Conscious Design Architects. In addition to AECOM’s consultancy partners, the team also includes leading academics from Glasgow Caledonian and Robert Gordon Universities, as well as Dr Richard Atkins, chair of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).